A Friend in Felicia
by cwing90
Summary: Naruto comes home from a solo mission just one month after fighting Sasuke at the Valley of the End. But, he's got new feline friend with him. At the same time, he continues to develope his friendship with a certain pink-haired girl. (Kind of a Naruto/Darkstalkers crossover, sort of.)
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: NARUTO'S NEW FRIEND

**Hokage's Office**

Tsunade let out a sigh that was louder than originally intentioned. Here she was again, sitting in at her desk and signing piled upon piles of paperwork that never seemed to end- even after the papers for the day stopped coming in.

She took a moment to sit back in her chair and rub at her temples. Her eyes felt strained and actually hurt a little bit. The idea of numbing the pain with a little sake flashed across her mind and promptly slipped open the bottom drawer next to her foot. She pulled out a bottle before opening the top drawer to grab a glass. Closing both drawers, Tsunade proceeded to sip away at the rice wine. Her eyes randomly scanned the office before landing on the top of the desk. Looking past the bane of all Hokages, brown eyes looked into a framed photo of herself smiling with a certain hyperactive blond. A loving grin crossed the Sannin's complexion before she sighed out of content. That same grin, however, faded ever so slightly as something else crossed her mind: worry.

Sure, she knew Naruto could handle himself just fine, but that didn't stop her from thinking of all the what-ifs. It has only been a month since Naruto's fight with Sasuke at the Valley of the End. Naruto came into the hospital unconscious with numerous severe wounds, including broken bones. The doctors stabilized him with her guidance within the hour but he didn't wake for another 3 or 4 days.

Tsunade recalled coming into his hospital room everyday, checking his vitals and whatnot before stopping to watch the Genin slumber in his coma and silently praying to any god that would answer. This caused the Godaime's eyes to sting. She blinked the tears away the best she could and used her hand to get rid of the rest.

Unwilling to dwell on it any longer, she shook herself and downed a shot of sake in hopes of dulling the negative emotions.

_Naruto should be back sometime today,_ Tsunade thought to herself. She was referring to a solo mission she sent the energetic Genin on. He was supposed to be back either later today or early tomorrow by her calculations.

**Konoha Gates**

Naruto's face beamed as he spotted the gates to Konoha up ahead. He quickened his pace a little and before long, he was passing through and officially entering the village he grew up in- until the two Chunnin on guard stopped him.

"Stop! Who are you!" one of them commanded, "State your name and your business." Naruto was taken aback by this. These two guards never once acted like this towards him. He confusion was quickly diffused when he remembered that he now had a new little friend with him.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Genin-rank Shinobi of Konoha," Naruto complied, "I am returning from a mission assigned by the Hokage." The Chunnin addressed nodded in acknowledgement then looked past Naruto at the other character.

"And who's this with you?" he asked further. Naruto glanced at his new friend. She had the appearance of a girl with cat-like limbs and tail. Pink claws could be seen within her paws. On her head were cat-like ears and a mane of blue hair that matched her blue eyes. White fur completely covered her limbs but barely covered her more explicit areas.

Naruto gave her a warm smile and pet the area between her ears for a second before turning back to the Chunnin.

"She is someone I met while on my mission. She has nowhere else to go," Naruto calmly answered. The Chunnin nodded again then called to the other Chunnin guard, "Hold down the fort for a short while. I'll take them to the Hokage."

**Hokage's Office**

Tsunade yawned as she kept at completing the endless paperwork as usual. The shots of sake from earlier seemed to have left her drained, giving her urges to just pass out and nap away. A knock on her office door, however, jerked her back to full awareness. She looked up to find a Chunnin sticking his head into the room.

"Lady Tsunade, Uzumaki Naruto is back from his mission and is waiting to see you," the Chunnin reported.

"Send him in," Tsunade replied without much emotion. Despite trying to sound professional, Tsunade was anxious on the inside to see her "godson" home safe. She didn't have to wait long at all as Naruto made his way into the office. She felt a welcoming smile cross her face- only to switch to a look of confusion and curiosity upon seeing who came in, tailing behind the hyper blond.

"I'm back, Baa-chan! The mission was a success," Naruto announced.

"Well done, kiddo," Tsunade remarked as she sketched some quick notes, "However, I would like to know about your little friend there."

Naruto nodded with a, "Will do," and began his story.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: NARUTO TO THE RESCUE

**WAVE COUNTRY; 2 DAYS AGO**

The wind whipped Naruto's hair around as he bound from tree branch to tree branch. He had just completed his solo mission of taking down some nameless team of thugs that were heckling Tazuna's village, claiming that they were there to protect the town for any threat- for a fee. He was done with that within an hour and was treated to ramen, courtesy of Tsunami.

Off to Naruto's right, the rustle of a bush could be heard. Naruto froze dead in his tracks on the tree branch he just landed on, not daring to make any sound or any move that could give an enemy an advantage. He stood frozen in a combat-ready position, listening and rapidly scanning the surrounding forestation.

Then came a sound that seemed like a whimper. Curiosity taking over, Naruto headed down the tree's trunk, muffling the sound of his steps with extra chakra.

Another whimper came from the bush Naruto was focusing on. The said Genin approached at a slow pace, careful not to walk into an ambush. He peered over the bush and what he saw made his heart break in sympathy. In the middle of a clearing, a cat-like girl lay on her side, curled up in a fetal position. Gashes and cuts littered her body, staining the grass around her dark red. Some of the wounds still had a kunai or shuriken lodged in them.

The girl continued to whimper and lightly sob every so often. Naruto had seen enough and he began to approach the injured cat girl, hoping that there weren't any further traps.

The girl saw him coming and one could see the fear in her face. Naruto saw this and knelt down next to her.

"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you," he said softly as he pet the girl's head, which seemed to calm the girl down a little. Naruto then moved his other hand toward a kunai that was stuck in one of her wounds. He barely touched the handle when he suddenly jumped back away from the cat girl, dodging several enemy projectiles.

"Get away from our prize, kid," warned a gruff voice. Even more projectiles flew in Naruto's direction following the threat. The said Genin drew a Kunai of his own and knocked away the entire oncoming volley.

"Gotcha!" Naruto found himself trapped in a bear hug from behind by a large man with well-defined muscles. A woman appeared several feet away, proceeding to scoop up the "prize". Naruto struggled in vain to get free. The man's arms didn't even budge.

"Aoi, why don't we finish this kid off?" the man said to the woman, "We can't have witnesses." Aoi gave an evil smirk and drew her katana. Dumping the cat girl onto the ground, Aoi rushed at Naruto who was powerless to move- or so they thought.

Confusion lined Aoi's face after she plunged her blade into Naruto who _poofed_ out existence. From behind Aoi, Naruto jumped up from some bushes and summoned several Kage Bunshin. Before the large man knew what hit him, he was taken out by a Rasengan.

"Matsu!" Aoi cried out. She tried to run over to his unconscious form but was stopped by Naruto and his clones, several having Rasengan at the ready. Aoi began to back away before turning and running, dropping her katana in the process. Naruto dispelled his clones and picked up the katana.

_I could get some special training for this,_ he thought as placed the sword in a sealing scroll.

Naruto found the cat girl resting against a nearby tree. The girl looked up at him and gave a small smile before saying a quiet, "Arigatou."

"Oh, you can talk," Naruto tried his best to hide his surprise. They would then start conversing and getting to know each other while Naruto helped her heal. He pulled out the Kunai and Shuriken still lodged into her skin and she then healed those wounds with a medical jutsu. From what Naruto found out, the cat girl's name is Felicia. She is 40 years old in "cat years" and 7 in "human years". She was raised by a human family but has been out on her own ever since she narrowly escaped an arson fire that killed the human family.

Felicia cried as she told her story, breaking Naruto's heart for the second time. When she finished, Naruto pulled her into a comforting hug, allowing his shoulder to become wet with tears.

Despite his reluctance, Naruto told Felicia of his own back-story. He included everything from the glares the villagers gave him to the hateful insults to the mob-fueled beatings. Recalling all of it lead to Naruto breaking down for the first time in a few years. Now it was Felicia's turn to give a comforting hug, but not without shedding some tears of her own out of sympathy.

After a while, both eventually calmed down, happy to get everything off their chests. Naruto then made an offer to Felicia that she could come back to Konoha with him. Felicia couldn't believe what she heard. She pounced on Naruto, holding him in an affectionate death grip. She, of course, had to let go (quite reluctantly) after Naruto begged for air.

With the matter now settled, Naruto continued on his way back to Konoha with Felicia just a step or two behind.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: FELICIA'S NEW HOME

**Hokage's Office**

Tsunade listened to Naruto's story while writing it down in a scroll. When Naruto finished, the scroll was placed in a desk drawer. Tsunade then turned her attention to Felicia who was crouched into a cat's sitting position.

"Felicia, you must understand that since I know very little about you, I can't let you roam around as you please at this time," the Godaime stated, "For the time being, I will have to have someone keep watch over you until I feel that I can trust you."

Felicia gulped upon hearing this. Numerous possibilities flew through her mind, all of which included being separated from Naruto. This really began to bug her; currently, Naruto is the only one she knows and trusts. Now she's going to be under the careful watch of some person who probably wants nothing to do with her!

Felicia was so occupied by her panicked musing, she didn't notice Tsunade come around the desk and kneel down to place comforting hands on her shoulders.

"You don't need to worry," Tsunade assured, "I figured Naruto would be best suited for the job right now, anyway." Hearing this, Felicia felt relief wash over her. Time slipped by and before she knew it, she was already back outside alongside Naruto, traveling down one of the main streets. She was strutting on all fours to avoid making Naruto feel short, even though he actually was shorter than her by almost two feet if she stood up straight.

"Hey, Naruto!" a girl's voice called from an intersecting street. Both Naruto and Felicia turned their heads to see it was in fact a girl who was running towards them. Felicia noticed she had short pink hair and mesmerizing emerald eyes.

"I was wondering when you'd get back from your mission," the pink-haired girl commented to Naruto, "Tsunade-sama worried about you the whole time." She then looked down, pausing for a second before adding, "I was worried, too."

"Not to worry, Sakura-chan," Naurto assured, "The mission wasn't really that bad."

_So the girl's name is Sakura,_ Felicia mentally noted, _must be a friend._ It was then that Sakura finally noticed Felicia- and did something Felicia didn't like in the least.

Overcome with curiosity, Sakura grabbed onto Felicia's ears, slightly turning them every which way with her thumbs. All she could utter was, "Are these real?"

Naruto noticed Felicia's discomfort and thought quickly on how to diffuse this situation peacefully.

"Uh, Sakura-chan, you shouldn't be doing that," was all he could come up with. When Sakura looked at him with confusion, he added, "She doesn't seem to like it." Sakura looked down at Felicia, seeing a facial expression that begged her to stop. She quickly recoiled her hands, realizing her mistake.

"Did you really have to do that?" Felicia asked with slight annoyance, leaving behind a stunned Sakura to rejoin Naruto who cleared his throat.

"This is Felicia," Naruto explained, "I met her on the way back from my mission. She's here because she has nowhere to go." Upon hearing this, Sakura's shock turned into sadness. Seeing the girl called Felicia now, Sakura noticed her cute face first but then focused on her curvy, cat-like figure.

_Poor thing,_ the pinkette thought, _how long has she been alone?_ Sakura then knelt forward, hands on her knees.

"I'm sorry about what I did," she said sweetly, "If you can forgive me, I promise we'll be good friends."

Felicia began to think it over. Sure, grabbing onto her ears wasn't exactly a good first impression, but she really does seem sorry right now. She more than likely hasn't seen anyone of her kind before so she can't be blamed. Felicia smiled and nodded with a simple, "Okay."

Sakura smiled back and pet Felicia's head before taking off in another direction, saying over her shoulder, "I have to meet with Tsunade-sama. I'll train with you tomorrow."

A little while later, Naruto and Felicia arrived at Naruto's apartment. Felicia strode through the doorway behind Naruto and looked around the dinning room/kitchen that greeted her.

"I know it's not much," Naruto said while closing the apartment door, "It's basically a main room, a bedroom and bathroom."

"You at least have a roof over your head," Felicia assured, "This place will be just fine for me." Naruto headed over to his cupboards and look through what all he had.

"You hungry at all? Anything particular you'd like me to prepare?" he asked over his shoulder. Felicia, who had already curled up on Naruto's couch, tilted her head in thought then finally asked, "You have any fish?" Naruto proceeded to look through his fridge and connected freezer compartment. He pulled out plastic-wrapped pre-cooked tuna and set it on an already-heated skillet. At the same time, he was making himself some homemade ramen.

Before long, Felicia awoke from her catnap after smelling some amazing aroma. Over on Naruto's dinner table was a plate of fried tuna. Overcome with excitement, Felicia gracefully leaped over to the table and devoured the tuna.

Naruto then made the mistake of looking up from his ramen, losing his appetite as a result. Sure he tended to lack some table manners but Felicia apparently had none at all whatsoever! Here she was, on top of Naurto's dinning table and noisily going to town on the fried tuna!

"Slow down, Felicia, it's not a race!" Naruto exclaimed. Embarrassment became obvious on Felicia's face as she slipped into a nearby chair and continued eating at a slower pace. The meal went on in silence. After both finished, Naruto took the dishes and washed them. Felicia took on the duty of drying them and they were done within minutes.

With extra time to kill, the two decided to just relax for the night. Naruto sat back on his couch, studying from scrolls about different types of Jutsu with Felicia resting her head in his lap, looking up at what the scroll being studied contained every so often.

Before long, Naruto gave a yawn and felt his eyes become heavy.

"Feel like calling it a night?" he asked. Felicia, who had not moved from her position, nodded her head in his lap.

"Tell you what, you can have the bed. I'll sleep on the couch," said Naruto. Felicia said nothing but wrapped her arms around his mid-section from her position, showing that she planned otherwise.

"Felicia, my bed's not that big. I doubt it'll fit both of us," Naruto justified. Felicia only tightened her hold. Sighing in defeat, Naruto scooped up his cat-like friend (she was surprisingly light) and headed into the bedroom where he laid down to sleep. Felicia was curled up at his side with his arm around her shoulders, already asleep. Sleep overtook Naruto as well as he listened to content purring.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4: SOME INTENSE TRAINING

**Training Ground 7**

The morning sun peeked over the trees to the east and a steady light breeze graced the environment. To Sakura Haruno, it was calmingly peaceful. She sat on a rock next to a large tree, waiting for her teammates to show up. While waiting, she absent-mindedly spun a Kunai around her index finger, gradually making it increase in speed with each rotation.

_I really miss the old days, _Sakura pondered, _back when all of us would meet here for training._ She smiled inwardly at the somewhat recent memories of Sasuke and Naruto always trying to outdo each other. It was always entertaining to watch. But at the same time, she was always in the background. She was a fangirl who was almost completely dependent on Sasuke and thoughtlessly let Naruto fight her battles. After seeing what Sasuke did to her whisker-faced comrade, she decided to become a medic and has been training under Tsunade in Medical Jutsu of all kinds. She promised herself that she would be there to help Naruto from now on.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" The sudden appearance of the same hyper blond she was musing about broke her concentration, sending her Kunai flying off her finger- and straight at Naruto's face! It happened so fast, Sakura could only gasp before Naruto moved his head to the side while deflecting the Kunai in the opposite direction with his bare hand, cutting it in the process.

"Naruto! Oh my god, I'm sorry!" Sakura was frantic as she ran to where her teammate stood. She grabbed Naruto's cut hand and healed it within seconds.

"No need to fret, Sakura-chan. It was an accident," Naruto assured comfortingly. Sakura nodded with a grin, not wanting to take it any further.

For the next hour, Naruto and Sakura continued to wait for their sensei to arrive. While Felicia was busy trying to snatch a butterfly out of the air nearby, Naruto showed Sakura the katana he picked up during his solo mission. The blade was a beautiful shade of silver that gleamed in the sunlight while the handle had a red jewel on either side of the bottom part. What intrigued both Genin, however, was that the hand guard was shaped like the head of a dog or some similar animal.

"You should let Ten Ten see it," Sakura concluded, "She should be able to help you."

As if on cue, Kakashi Hatake _poofed_ into existence in front of blond and pinkette, scaring both half to death. He snapped his adult novel closed before putting it away and turning his attention to his students.

"Don't bother with the excuses, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto cut off in annoyance.

"Maybe you should cut back on reading that smut," Sakura added, "Probably why you're always late to everything." Kakashi cocked his one visible eyebrow and simply replied, "Good morning to you, too." He then looked over to where Felicia was still busy trying to catch the same butterfly.

"Is that a human female with cat-like features?" he asked. Naruto knew he was referring to Felicia so he spoke up.

"That's a catgirl named Felicia," he responded to Kakashi's question, "She's currently living with me for the time being. I met her while I was returning from my solo mission the other day." Naruto then went on to retell the story he told Tsunade. Sakura was tearing up as the story came to Felicia's backstory- only to double in emotion upon hearing Naruto's backstory once again.

Sakura already knew of what was sealed inside Naruto. When the blond worked up the courage to tell her after his battle with Sasuke, she finally understood why the adults were so mean to him. Naruto told her of the beatings and insults openly distributed by many of the villagers, how he was a regular at the hospital because of it and how half of the hospital's staff was just as mean. He was halfway through recalling a time when he needed immediate surgical treatment from a very severe mob-fueled beating and the doctors refused to do anything, preferring to let him die of his injuries. Sakura stopped him from continuing by suddenly capturing him in a shaky-yet-firm embrace and crying into his hair. Between sobs, she managed to choke out, "You're not alone anymore. You no longer have to suffer."

Sakura was brought back to reality when Kakashi called her and Naruto's names.

"Despite being 1 member short, we can still work as a team," Kakashi explained, "For today, you two will work as a duo in a sparring match against me. Through this, I will analyze where your strengths are and tweak your future training accordingly." Naruto and Sakura nodded and immediately went on the attack, Sakura targeting Kakashi's legs and Naruto aiming for the head. Kakashi was caught off guard due to the session starting before he could signal to begin, leading to his legs being swept out from under him. He fell forward and took a direct hit in the face from Naruto's fist. The impact sent him flying a good 15 feet away.

"Yatta!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Yosh!" Naruto grunted with satisfaction while high-fiving Sakura.

"No fair!" Kakashi whined as he got to his feet, "I didn't even say to start yet."

"Kakashi-sensei, have you forgotten that I'm Konoha's most unpredictable Shinobi?" Naruto smirked.

"I haven't forgotten, Naruto," Kakashi replied with a mask-hidden smirk of his own, "But you seem to have forgotten that you're fighting an elite Jonin." Before either Naruto or Sakura could react, Kakashi grabbed Naruto from behind and held a kunai to his throat.

"Yield, Sakura," Kakashi warned, "Your partner is as good as dead if you choose otherwise." The seriousness in her sensei's voice scared Sakura greatly. She tried to come up with a plan but desperation was clouding her thinking as she was tensing up every time Kakashi's Kunai inched closer to cutting Naruto's jugular.

_Why is Kakashi-sensei doing this? I have to work fast if-,_ Sakura's thought was interrupted by Kakashi stating, "Too long," and making a move to cut Naruto's throat.

"NARUTO!" Sakura shrieked as she charged her sensei with a kunai in each hand. She arched her swings around Naruto, targeting where Kakashi's neck and shoulder met. Kakashi jumped out of the way, losing his grip on Naruto.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled her teammate's name as she rushed to his side to keep him from collapsing out of shock. Naruto sunk to his knees, his breathing coming out as labored wheezing.

"I'm so sorry! I should've acted sooner," Sakura sobbed while holding his face in her hands. Kakashi watched this from where he stood. While he felt bad for what he just did, he kept in mind that it was for the sake of training. He then approached the two teens and laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder, causing her whip around with a kunai in hand.

"Whoa! Sakura let me explain at least!" Kakashi said defensively.

"Why?" Sakura choked out through fresh tears, "How could you do that?!" Kakashi's heart stung from seeing this but he pressed onward in reasoning.

"I have to prepare both of you for when a scenario like that actually happens," the one-eyed Jonin explained, "If one of you is in trouble, the other must be able to act fast with no hesitation whatsoever. The fate of your comrade is in your hands." Sakura simply looked down to the ground, not saying anything. Kakashi turned his attention to Naruto who was finally snapping out of his shocked state and placed a caring hand on his head.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I understand your shock," the teens' sensei lamented in apology, "But I was trying to teach you an important thing in the Shinobi world: be careful who you trust because even your closest allies can turn on you." The grave expression didn't leave Naruto's face as he nodded in acknowledgement.

Kakashi suddenly stood up and took a few steps away from the teens before turn back around and saying, "How about some Ichiraku's to cheer you guys up? My treat." Naruto was at his sensei's side faster than he could say _Chidori_. Sakura hurried over to catch up with Felicia bringing up the rear.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5: A TRUE SIGN OF FRIENDSHIP

**Ichiraku's Ramen Stand**

Naruto led the way to one of the few places that allowed him in as Sakura, Kakashi and Felicia trailed a few steps behind him. As he seated himself on a bar stool, the old man behind the counter looked up from the ramen he was cooking.

"Naruto, my boy," the ramen stand owner exclaimed, "It's good to see you again! We haven't business with you for the last few days."

"Naruto's here?" came a feminine voice from the back. The ramen stand owner's daughter, Ayame, poked her head out from the doorway and spotted the boy she considered her little brother. Before Naruto could even begin to say, "Hi, Ayame-chan," he wound up being crushed in a vise grip of sisterly love.

"Oh Naruto, we missed you so much!" Ayame cried out happily as she continued to unwittingly cut off Naruto's oxygen. Eventually, Naruto was able to grunt, "Can't breathe!" and Ayame let him go. It was then that the others showed up and took their own seats, including Felicia.

"Naruto, you know our policy on animals," the old man started to say. He stopped himself and looked closer at Felicia, which made the latter rather uncomfortable. Naruto had to clear his throat and utter, "You're staring," to break the old man's trance.

"Oh! I am so sorry, miss," the old man explained himself, "I just never saw your kind around here before."

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Felicia assured, "Your reaction was to be expected."

"Is she your friend, Naruto?" Ayame asked.

"Yeah," Naruto confirmed, "I met her during my last mission and took her in since her she had nowhere to go." Ayame looked to Felicia with a look of pity and said, "I'm sorry."

"As of now, I'm living with Naruto. As long as I have him, I have everything," Felicia assured with a smile. Ayame returned the smile and pet Felicia's head.

_She is so cute,_ she thought as she finished petting. Right after that she took everyone's orders, which were ready and served up within minutes. The meal was mostly silent, each patron enjoying their individual bowl of ramen. Felicia was the only one who never had ramen before but was anxious to dig in. She was having trouble using her chopsticks, however, due to her large paw-like hands. This led to Naruto feeding Felicia her ramen while simultaneously continuing to eat his own.

Sakura smiled as she saw this, finding it adorable. She then looked down at her half-empty bowl and her smile faded completely. Last time she ate at this ramen stand, it was on a "date" with Naruto the night before Sasuke left the village. That following day, she made a plea with Naruto: _"Bring Sasuke back to me!"_ Sakura mentally kicked herself for making that plea. As far as she was concerned, she was the reason Naruto was so badly hurt when he caught up to Sasuke. Her hyper teammate had every reason to be angry with her, yet he wasn't.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto called with a hand on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura looked up from her thoughts with a confused look on her face.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Sakura assured rather quickly. Naruto wasn't the brightest Ninja in the world but he knew a red flag when he saw it. But for now, he said nothing more and proceeded to finish up his third bowl of ramen.

After a while, everyone was satisfied and began to go their separate ways. Naruto was headed on his way back to his apartment with Felicia when Sakura touched his shoulder. Naruto looked back at her, confused by the gesture.

"If you don't mind," Sakura asked as politely as she could, "I'd like to talk with you alone." Felicia overheard and stopped where she was, waiting for Naruto's reply. Naruto looked to Felicia and said, "I'll should be home a little later, I promise." Felicia said nothing but the slight depression was clear on her face as she continued toward Naruto's apartment with her shoulders slumped.

Naruto and Sakura were aimlessly wandering the streets of Konoha, staying silent at first until Sakura worked up the courage to tell her teammate what she wanted to say for a while.

"Naruto, do you remember that day when you, Shikamaru, Neji, Shino and Lee went to retrieved Sasuke?" she asked. Her mind went berserk and questioned, _did I really not add the suffix?"_ Naruto didn't seem to notice, however. He was caught off guard by the question and was taking a few moments to regroup.

"Yeah, I remember," he finally answered, "What about it?" Doing her best to swallow her anxiety, Sakura took a deep breath before speaking.

"On that day, I put so much pressure on you to bring Sasuke home," she began, "I selfishly begged you to bring Sasuke back to _**me**_! The next thing I know, you're in the hospital, barely alive- all because you swore on a selfish favor!" Sakura buried her face in her hands, her whole body shaking with her sobs.

"I'm sorry, Naruto!" she managed to say between sobs, "I'm so sorry!" Naruto's disbelief was through the roof as he saw his closest friend completely breaking down.

Sakura continued with the water works as she felt Naruto's arms wrap around her in a comforting fashion. As if on instinct, she lowered her hands from her face and rested her head on his shoulder, which she continued to cry into.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto soothed, "You don't have anything to do with me getting hurt. I would've been going after Sasuke either way. I made the promise because I just wanted you to be happy." He then wiped a tear away from Sakura's eye before slowly stroking her hair with the same hand.

"I went after Sasuke because he's the closest I ever had to a brother," he continued, "I was just unwilling to let that go." Sakura caressed his cheek upon hearing this. Even though she was the one being comforted, she felt that some comfort in return wouldn't hurt. Both knew that Sasuke is now a traitor and an enemy of Konoha but they are still having a hard time accepting it, being in denial.

Eventually, Sakura recovered from crying and Naruto walked her home. Naruto then went on his way and was back in his apartment within minutes. He came through the door to find Felicia curled up on the couch, sound asleep. Naruto walked up softly and pet the area between Felicia's ears, getting a light, sleepy purr in response.

The moment was suddenly interrupted by a knock on Naruto's door. Naruto answered the door to find an Anbu in front of him.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Anbu addressed, "The Hokage requires your presence immediately." Naruto nodded in acknowledgement and the Anbu disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Taking one last look back at Felicia's sleeping form, Naruto exited his apartment and leaped across the rooftops until he arrived the Hokage Tower.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: SASUKE'S TREACHERY

**Hokage's Office**

Naruto approached the door to Tsunade's office. Upon entering, he found that Shizune was in there as well. From the way she gave him a worried look, Naruto concluded it was something bad- possibly for him.

"Baa-chan, what's happened?" the hyper blond asked while approaching Tsunade's desk. The said busty Hokage only replied with a worried looking matching Shizune's before sliding a piece of paper in Naruto's direction. Taking the paper, Naruto studied the writing. It was a message from Sasuke- meant to be read by Naruto, judging by the context.

_Message for Uzumaki Naruto,_

_I was right to seek out Orochimaru's guidance. Your pitiful excuse for a ninja village will soon receive the fate it deserves, being demolished and burned to the ground. You will not repel the Hidden Sound Village this time._

_A day will come when our ranks finally show how dominant we really are. When that day comes, I will personally ensure your death._

_Uchiha Sasuke, Apprentice to Orochimaru_

Shock overcame Naruto, the letter slipping from his unmoving hands.

_Sasuke, _the blond mused with torment, _how could you do this? You had a good life!_ He continued to stand where he was, unmoving for at least a couple minutes. Shizune knelt down to Naruto's height, placing a comforting hand on the side of his face.

"The village elders already know of this," Shizune informed, "Because of this, they're hounding Tsunade-sama to lock you up in a fortified cell."

"They don't want the village's 'weapon' to fall into enemy hands," Tsunade spat as she joined in. Naruto felt blood drip from his tightly clenched fists. He ignored it and lifted his head to face the Godaime.

"Is that all, Lady Hokage?" was the simple, out-of-character phrase that exited his mouth. Tsunade was taken by surprise by this and had to take a few moments to recover. Her face still showed worry as she uttered politely, "Yes, you're dismissed."

After Naruto left the room, Tsunade sat back in her chair. Her hands went up to her forehead as she gave a clearly audible sigh. Shizune walked over to her side and let her hand rest on her mentor's shoulder.

**Naruto's Apartment**

Naruto fumbled with his keys before unlocking the door to his apartment. Once inside, he was greeted by a hug from Felicia. He returned the hug, but in a fashion that begged for comfort. Felicia moved her paw-like hands to Naruto's shoulders and looked him in eyes.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" she asked softly. Naruto didn't answer immediately, seeming to struggle to find the right words.

"The village is in danger," he finally managed to utter. The questioning look Felicia gave made him explain further.

"About a month ago, a former teammate named Uchiha Sasuke left the village to seek power from a man named Orochimaru," he explained, "He was labeled a traitor and Baa-chan formed a team of five Genin to get him back. I was on that team, eventually being the only one left to get to Sasuke. I finally caught up to him at a place called the Valley of the End. We engaged in a long, intense battle that ended after I was knocked unconscious. Now that he's with Orochimaru, he's planning to attack this village and kill me personally."

Felicia gasped, completely speechless at Naruto's predicament. She then curved one paw around the back of Naruto's head and rested his face against her shoulder, completing the comforting gesture with her other arm.

"I will be here to help you," she soothed into his ear, "We will make it through this." Naruto said nothing, still taking in the comfort and trying to regulate his shaky breathing. Before long, he was sound asleep.

Morning came and the sunlight peeking through the bedroom window rose Naruto from his slumber. He found that he was in his bed with Felicia right next to him, one arm wrapped protectively around him. He didn't remember going to bed last night but remembered being in Felicia's arms for a bit. But that was the last he remembered. Concluding that Felicia brought him to his bed, he stroked the cat girl's cheek in silent thanks.

He then got out of bed slowly, trying not to wake Felicia. After changing into fresh clothes in the bathroom, he downed a bowl of his morning ramen for breakfast. He wrote a quick note for Felicia before heading out, Katana in hand.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: NEW SWORDS, NEW MISSIONS

**Konoha Weapons Shop**

The Konoha Weapons Shop had all kinds of weaponry from kunai to shuriken to tantos to scythes to multiple kinds of swords, spears, axes and maces. The wide selection has amazed Naruto every time he came in.

"Good morning, Naruto," a dark-haired girl with buns greeted with a grin from behind the counter.

"Hey, Ten Ten," Naruto replied. He stepped up to the counter and set his katana down on its side in front of Ten Ten. Ten Ten's eye went wide upon seeing the overall design of the sword.

"Where did you find this?" Ten Ten finally asked after getting over her dumbfounded state.

"I was returning from a solo mission a couple days ago and I ran into a couple of bandits or possibly missing nins," Naruto explained, "There were two of them, a man and a woman. The woman was carrying the katana you see now. I made them run off but I didn't pursue since I now had a freed hostage to look after." Ten Ten nodded in acknowledgement before looking back down at the sword in question.

"The hand guard is shaped like the head of an animal," she observed, "More likely a fox. As for the red jewels, they could be decoration but at the same time, they have some kind of ability that I can't be too certain about." Naruto tried his best not to make a face upon hearing the hand guard looking like a fox's head but failed. Ten Ten noticed this.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?" she asked with sincere concern.

"Oh, it's nothing, Ten Ten," Naruto defended rather quickly, "Really."

"Naruto," Ten Ten moved around the counter to where Naruto stood and placed gentle hands on his shoulders, "I know you contain the Kyuubi; my parents told me when I was younger." She felt her short, blond friend tense up in her gentle grip but she continued.

"I didn't exactly know you but I felt bad whenever the villagers showed you nothing but cruelty over something you never chose to have," Naruto seemed to relax a little, but not a whole lot, "You have gone through so much in your last 14 years. You're a good ninja and a good person." The whiskered Genin showed a grateful smile before thanking Ten Ten and leaving the shop with his katana in tow.

**Training Ground 7**

Naruto arrived at his team's training ground to find that he's the first one there. He decided to pass the time by trying out his katana for the first time. He unsheathed the blade and did some practice swings before sheathing it again. He took a seat on the grass and unrolled a scroll he checked out from the Shinobi Library before arriving at the training ground. Within the scroll was information on a sword style called 'Fox's Deception'. Within minutes, he had the basics down and was starting to go over the not-as-complex techniques.

Several feet away, Sakura had just arrived and was watching her teammate practice from the rock she sat on the other day. She saw him move from one motion to another with a fluidity that really impressed her. But admiration turned to shock as she saw the last routine end with tornado-level gust erupting from the katana and shredding several trees nearby.

"Holy shit!" Sakura flicked her eyes back and forth between Naruto and the decimated forestation. She didn't even realize that she just voiced out loud what her mind was saying at the moment.

Naruto turned around upon hearing what his pink-haired friend just said, not even aware until then that she had arrived. While she was shocked at the damage from the recent sword routine's aftermath, he was actually in shock from hearing her curse like that.

Shaking off the sensation, Naruto sheathed his katana before walking up to join Sakura.

"I don't suppose you kiss your mother with that mouth?" the prankster asked with a playful smirk. Sakura had to take a moment to process what Naruto just said but he then added, "I guess you don't even know you just swore."

"I did?" Sakura asked innocently, finally over the shock, "I was just so shocked that-." Her following silence let Naruto fill in the blanks.

"What did I say?" she asked curiously. Naruto leaned forward and whispered into her ear. The look on Sakura's face told the story.

A few minutes went by and Kakashi eventually showed up, not having his nose in his adult novel for a change.

"I'm afraid that you'll be on your own for the next couple days," Kakashi informed his two remaining students, "I was just at the Hokage's office and was assigned a solo mission. If you can convince someone to substitute while I'm gone, that's just fine. Anyway, I need to leave in about an hour so I'll see you when I get back. Take care, you two." The one-eyed Jonin was gone in a swirl of leaves.

"Do you think Baa-chan will give us a mission?" Naruto asked the pinkette.

"I don't think it's likely," Sakura said quite frankly, "But it's worth a shot." The two Genin headed for the Hokage Tower.

**Hokage's Office**

Shizune closed the door to Tsunade's office behind her, a stack of papers in her hands. She took a step toward her receptionist's desk but stopped when she spotted Naruto and Sakura headed her direction.

"Naruto, Sakura, what are you doing here?" Shizune asked from her spot in front of the door.

"Good morning, Shizune-sama," Sakura replied politely, "We were wondering if Tsunade-sama had any missions available." Shizune looked rather reluctant at first. She pondered for a moment or two before speaking, "I believe she's kind of busy right now, but I guess she can afford one quick meeting with you guys." She sidestepped to allow the Genin to access the door. Sakura walked up and knocked. A monotonous "It's open" came through and she entered the office with Naruto coming up behind her.

"Morning, you two," Tsunade greeted, looking up from her paperwork, "I'm kind of busy with paperwork so you'll have to make this quick if you don't mind."

"Well," Naruto started, "We were wanting to know if you have any missions for us."

"Figures," Tsunade smirked, "With Kakashi on a mission, you guys need to keep occupied." She shifted through a stack of papers and said, "All I've got are D-Rank missions right now. Wait!" Her hand stopped at one particular paper and she pulled it out from the stack for a better look.

"Here's one for you two," she explained, "It's C-Ranked but it's the best I've got right now. A nobleman's daughter needs an escort from Konoha to a private estate in Tea Country where she is to attend a formal gathering with other nobles from other countries. Her father is already over there, helping with preparations so she just needs to make it there. You are to meet her at the inn down the street at around 3 pm."

"Wait, if this is a noble, then why isn't the rank higher?" Sakura asked.

"Well, this noble family doesn't have any known enemies," the busty Sannin answered, "And no threats were ever made against them."

"Sounds like it's gonna be so easy, it'll be boring," Naruto blurted. This got a "Shut up, brat" from a now annoyed Tsunade.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8: MISSION TO TEA COUNTRY

**Konoha Inn Lobby**

Naruto entered the inn's lobby and checked the clock mounted on the wall, which read 2:59 pm. He looked over to a group of small sofas and chairs and spotted Sakura sitting in one of them, casually scanning some tabloid magazine.

"I had a feeling that I'd be the first to make it," Sakura chuckled as she looked up from her reading material. Naruto grinned as he joined his teammate on the sofa she occupied.

"Yeah well, I took Felicia out for ramen as usual," the blond Genin explained, "Plus, I had to entrust her to somebody while I'm gone on this mission."

Remembering that Felicia still had to live under supervision until the Hokage felt she could be trusted, Sakura mentally nodded in consideration.

"So, who did you leave her to?" Sakura asked.

_Beginning of Flashback_

_Naruto was headed toward the Hyuuga compound with Felicia in tow. Upon stepping up to the front door, he rang the bell that hung from above to his right. After about ten seconds went by, the front door slip open, revealing the clan head Hiashi Hyuuga._

"_Naruto," the head Hyuuga asked, "What can I do for you?"_

"_I wish to speak with your oldest daughter," Naruto answered calmly. Hiashi then looked past the Genin toward Felicia, raising an eyebrow upon seeing her overall appearance._

"_She's with me," Naruto answered Hiashi's unasked question, "I have to leave on a mission later today and will likely be gone for a week at the most." Hiashi pondered for a few seconds more then allowed Naruto and Felicia inside. After seating them in the main sitting room, he went to retrieve Hinata._

_Taking a cat's sitting position next to Naruto, Felicia looked around, taking in the traditional Japanese architecture. This didn't last long as Hinata entered the room not long after Hiashi went to get her._

"_Naruto-kun," the shy kunoichi said softly before stuttering, "I-is there something I-I can hel-help you with?" Naruto explained his situation to Hinata, causing her to look toward Felicia with curiosity once she was mentioned. She also jumped when Felicia spoke up and explained why she was with Naruto in the first place. Her sad back-story made it hard for Hinata to not get worked up, but she did shed a few tears._

_When the story was finished, Hinata took Felicia's paws in her hands and said warmly, "My home is your home."_

"_Thanks, Hinata-chan," Naruto said as he rose to his feet. He pet Felicia between her ears and headed for the front door where Hiashi was ready to slide it open for him. He thanked Hiashi for his time and gave one last wave to Felicia before leaving._

_End of Flashblack_

"Her father actually didn't mind?" Sakura was amazed that the Hyuuga clan head actually allowed someone like Felicia into his house.

"Apparently, hearing about my fight with Sasuke was enough to change his opinion of me," Naruto tried to explain. Sakura said nothing but sighed out a "huh". The two friends fell into a comfortable silence right after. This lasted about another minute.

"Excuse me," a feminine voice made the teens look toward the source. The person who spoke had bright blond hair like Naruto but it was smooth and reached the small of her back. Her eyes were a dazzling shade of bluish-green and her skin tone was closer to that of Sakura's. She wore a light blue yukata with indigo and yellow accents.

"Are you the ninja who are going to escort me?" the girl asked.

"You must be nobleman's daughter Hokage-sama told us about," Sakura replied, "My name is Haruno Sakura, pleasure to meet you."

"Muase Midori," the girl introduced. The girls took each other's hands in greeting and the nobleman's daughter then turned to Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto at your service, my lady," the blond Genin introduced himself as he took the girl's hand with a slight bow.

"Please, there's no need to be so formal," Midori giggled, "I'm only a noble, not a princess." Sakura caught a hint of a blush on her face while she talked but Naruto seemed to miss it.

"So what all do you have for luggage?" Sakura decided to ask. The noble girl turned her attention back to her and placed a finger against her lips with a "hmm".

"I try not to go overboard with packing things," she spoke up after a moment, "But I think I got a considerable amount of luggage." She led the Genin up to her suite where she showed them her full closet. Sakura pulled out a sealing scroll and unrolled it along the nearby table. She explained her intention when Midori looked at the scroll with confusion.

"This is a tool used by ninja called a Storage Scroll," she relayed to the noblewoman, "With the proper application of Chakra, anything can be sealed into this. The bigger the scroll, the more that can be stored with a seal."

"So you plan to seal my luggage into this scroll, reducing the size of the burden," Midori thought out loud, putting two and two together.

"Naruto, can I trust you to be careful with her clothes?" Sakura looked her comrade with mock seriousness. Naruto simply gave a light guffaw and set work in moving the load of kimonos and yukatas from the closet to the bed. Midori volunteered to assist as well as Sakura and the whole closet-sized load of luggage was stacked up on the scroll in a matter of minutes. Sakura went through some hand seals and the stack of kimonos and yukatas _poofed_ out of existence and into suspended animation inside the scroll.

"Any regular belongings, my lady?" the pinkette asked while rolling up the scroll and setting out a second one.

"Not as much, this time," Midori assured, pulling open a drawer. Within minutes, all of the noblewoman's belongings were sealed into the second scroll. With their task of packing complete, they checked Midori out of the inn and headed toward the village gates.

**Village Gates**

The two Chunnin guarding the gates looked up to see three figures approaching their position at a walking pace.

"Got another mission, I see," one of the Chunnin observed with a smile.

"You betcha," Naruto smirked, "Anyway, we gotta go. See you guys in about a week." The two Chunnin waved farewell as the trio of teens exited through the gates.

Naruto suddenly knelt down and motioned at Midori, causing Sakura to give him a dirty look.

"It will take us about three or four days to get to Tea Country and another day to arrive at the estate," Naruto defended, "Plus, she might want to make good time on her arrival." As much as Sakura hated to admit it, Naruto had a point.

"Alright, but on one condition," Sakura warned, "We are to take turns while we're on the move to keep each other as fresh as possible."

"Fair enough," Naruto concluded as Midori hoisted herself onto his back. Sakura noticed the noble was blushing again as they took off toward Tea Country.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9: NEW BONDS FORMED

The journey to Tea Country was uneventful, thus far. Every three hours or so, Naruto would hand Midori over to Sakura or vice versa. They had only stopped twice on the first day travel. The first time was to eat a quick lunch and the second time was to set up camp for the night. Naruto took out a scroll and unsealed a small tent and three sleeping bags. While Midori slept in the tent, Naruto and Sakura took turns keeping watch at five-hour intervals. At the break of dawn, they woke Midori so they could reseal the tent and sleeping bags. They took off right afterward, Midori resting her head resting against Naruto's shoulder from drowsiness. She was soon asleep once more.

As the second day of travel rolled on, the trio continued toward Tea Country at the same pace they set the previous day. After a while, Sakura happened to notice a series of gleams in the sunlight for a split second. Knowing her blond teammate won't see it, she shouted at him, "Look out, trip wires!" Naruto saw it at that moment and knew he couldn't stop in time.

"Sakura!" he shouted as he tossed Midori to the pinkette. The first four wires were tripped and four simultaneous volleys of kunai sprayed from the forestation on either side of the road. Naruto took several direct hits as well as a few cuts and nicks.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted from where she stood. She saw her teammate pull out the kunai that stuck into him but didn't move, knowing she had to protect Midori.

At that moment, at least ten bandits appeared out of the forestation, weapons drawn.

"Three little kids?" one bandit laughed, "Like taking candy from a baby."

"Dibs on the blond girl," another bandit said with a sick smile. The bandit who seemed to be the leader smirked back the lecherous bandit before commanding, "Have at it, boys!"

"Naruto, watch out!" Sakura panicked. She was struggling to decide on defending Midori or helping Naruto. With no other option, she made the tough decision to let 4th Hokage's son handle himself for now and take care of the bandits that get past him.

Luckily, Naruto was putting up a good fight. He would smack one bandit then throw him into some of his comrades or temporarily even out the odds with Kage Bunshin. Only three bandits got past Naruto but they weren't a challenge for Sakura to take down.

When the last bandit went down, Sakura and Midori joined Naruto to make sure he was okay. He was still in good condition, to Sakura's relief. Midori hoisted herself onto Naruto's back once more and they were off again, continuing toward Tea Country.

As it began to get dark, the trio stopped to set up camp for the night. Setting up a fire, Naruto unsealed a large wok and wooden spoon. He then unpacked a small variety of ingredients.

Midori was watching him from her spot a couple feet away. She looked at the ingredients that were gathered near the fire ring and spotted a box of uncooked noodles. When Naruto left to get water, she leaned over toward Sakura.

"Does he cook a lot of ramen?" she asked the pinkette.

"Yeah," Sakura replied with a mix of amusement and annoyance, "He's always trying to find ways to get a hold of some." Midori cocked an eyebrow at Sakura's tone.

"There's nothing wrong with that," she defended, "I actually happen to LOVE ramen." Sakura shook her head and leaned back against a tree while uttering, "Oh wow."

Naruto returned with water and filled the wok about halfway. Midori scooted closer Naruto as he opened the box of noodles.

"If you want, Naruto, I can help you with making it," the noblewoman offered.

"Don't worry about it, my lady," Naruto said politely, "I'm pretty good with ramen by myself."

"Are you sure?" Midori pressed on, "I'm a fan of ramen, myself."

"That's what I was hoping for," Naruto replied, "Ramen is pretty much the only thing I've ever been good at preparing. But I guess if you really want to lend a hand, than feel free to."

Throughout the duration of the preparation time, Naruto and Midori talked about the different ramen recipes they knew and the best places to eat ramen. When Naruto told her about Ichiraku's Ramen Stand and what they have on their menu, Midori found it difficult to keep her mouth from watering- much to Naruto's amusement. He would then promise her that he would take her there the next time she visited Konoha.

Sakura watched them from her spot as her teammate and the noblewoman kept talking.

_They're bonding so well_, she thought with small smile, _I wonder where he gets that ability to make friends?_ She continued observing the two blonds. In her musings, she missed what they were saying. Naruto said something to Midori and she started laughing.

Sakura then began to remember the days following Naruto checking out of the hospital after what Sasuke did to him. They were spending a lot more time together. Half of the time, they would spar (Sakura won most of the time but she had a feeling that Naruto was letting her win), other times involved just hanging out and talking about anything at all.

_Beginning of Flashback_

_Naruto and Sakura were up on top of the Hokage Monument, relaxing on top of the head of the 4__th__ Hokage. Naruto was lying back with his hands folded behind his head. Right next to him, Sakura was also lying back but her head rested on Naruto's folded jumper instead. They were pulling a Shikamaru for today since they had finished training with Kakashi for the day._

"_Naruto, can I ask you something?" Sakura suddenly asked. Naruto turned his head toward his pink-haired friend before replying, "What is it, Sakura-chan?"_

"_Would you like go the premiere of the lastest 'Princess Fuun' movie?" the pink-haired kunoichi offered, "Tsunade-sama gave me two tickets after our training session yesterday, saying they came from Fujikaze Yukie herself."_

"_You kidding?! Of course I'll go!" Naruto exclaimed. He then proceeded to capture Sakura in a hug while practically shouting, "Sakura, you're the best!"_

_Realization quickly hit him and he released the pinkette from his grip before saying, "Sorry 'bout that." Sakura shook her head before adding, "I'll let that one slide." They both returned to watching the clouds in comfortable silence._

"_You know this means I'm taking you shopping for a tux tomorrow," the apprentice of Tsunade warned playfully._

_End of Flashback_

Sakura looked in Naruto's direction as he stirred multiple spices, seasonings and meat slices into the cooking ramen.

_You were there for me_, she thought with finality, _Now it's my turn._ She then rose from her position against the tree and took a seat on Naruto's side opposite of Midori.

"How's the ramen coming?" she asked as she sat down.

"It won't be long now before it's just perfect," Naruto replied with a hint of pride. Like he said, the ramen was ready and served within minutes.

Sakura took her first mouthful and froze at the flavor that entered her mouth. She stared down at her bowl with wide eyes then up at Naruto who busy slurping away at his own bowl. Beyond him, Midori was digging in happily.

"I gotta ask, Naruto," Sakura spoke up after her second mouthful, "Did you create this recipe?" Naruto paused in devouring down his ramen to face his teammate.

"I wish I could say I did but I didn't," he answered, "After one of my recent visits to Ichiraku's, Ayame pulled me aside to thank me for my for being family and gave me this written recipe as a gift."

"That was nice of her," Midori put in her two cents.

"Yeah, we see each other as brother and sister," Naruto continued, "She and her old man were basically the first to accept me when I was little."

"Where were your parents?" Midori asked innocently. She noticed the look of discomfort on Sakura's face and that Naruto had become silent. She put two and two together, realizing it was something she said.

"My parents died when I was an infant," Naruto explained in a solemn tone. Midori hand flew up to cover her mouth as she gasped softly. She gently set her bowl of ramen down and scooted closer to Naruto, slowly running her hand along his shoulder and down his forearm.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she practically whispered.

"You didn't know," Naruto simply replied before rising to his feet, "Please excuse me, my lady." He walked off into the dark forestation beyond the fire's light.

"He's not mad at you," Sakura comforted the noblewoman, "He just hurts from the fact that he never had parents. When he was little, he had next to no one to love him. Most of the villagers expressed nothing but hatred towards him."

"Wh-what did he do?" Midori was on the verge of tears. She couldn't even imagine what a child could do to have the whole village against him.

"It's really what he didn't do," Sakura explained. She quickly glanced in the direction Naruto left the camp for alone time before continuing.

"When he was born, he was selected to contain a fearsome demon: the Kyuubi. Because of the massive damage and bloodshed the Kyuubi caused before being sealed inside Naruto, the villagers' hatred lingered."

"Naruto's a Jinchuriki?!" Midori was barely able to handle the shock.

"Why?!" she began to choke up, "Why over something he had no control over?"

"When I found out, everything made sense," Sakura continued, "I now understand why our generation was told by our parents to not associate with him. I had since promised myself I would be at his side, no matter what happens." Midori wiped the continuous tears from her eyes the best she could.

"I don't know if Naruto really sees me as a friend, but I definitely consider him one," she managed to say.

"Of course I consider you a friend," both girls looked up at the new voice's source to see that Naruto had returned.

The whisker-faced ninja took his spot between Sakura and Midori. He took Sakura's hand in one hand and Midori's in the other.

"For me, friends are family enough," he concluded, getting a caring smile from both girls. They stayed like this for a while longer, not talking but just enjoying each other's company.

Midori quietly dozed off and alerted the two Genin of this when her head landed on Naruto's lap with a soft thud. Naruto took her inside the tent to lay her in the sleeping bag inside, leaving Sakura to wonder if the noblewoman meant to do that.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10: THE TRUE MEANING OF FRIENDSHIP

The third day of travel began with Naruto and Sakura rising from sleep and resealing the tent and sleeping bags. After a quick breakfast, the three teens took off again with Midori clinging to Sakura's back.

Mid-day came and went but the Tea Country border was finally in sight. With a newfound eagerness, the Genin picked up the pace. They passed over the border before dark and headed for the nearest town to find an inn.

After checking into one, the three teens headed up to their rooms. Sakura and Midori shared a room while Naruto got a room to himself.

**Naruto's Room**

It was a little later and Naruto had settled into the bed in nothing but his boxers. He propped himself up against the pillows and opened the novel he packed, leaving off from where his bookmark was placed. He read in silence for about an hour before his eyes began to droop. He was jerked from this stupor as a knock sounded from the door. Not wanting to keep whomever it was waiting, Naruto made his way to the door while quickly donning a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

As soon as he had the door open wide enough, he found himself captured in an awkward hug courtesy of Midori Muase. The nobleman's daughter had her arms wrapped tightly around Naruto with her head resting against his chest, smiling contently.

"My lady, what are you doing?" Naruto voiced his confusion. Midori's face showed hurt as she looked up at him but explained, anyway.

"Remember the other night?" she began, "We talked so much over the ramen you cooked. We laughed together and ignored the fact that I'm a noble." Midori moved her hands to grip the front of Naruto's t-shirt.

"I felt a real bond," she continued, "Like I made an unconditional friend."

"I felt a bond back then, too," Naruto replied. He took Midori's hands in his and continued, "I see you as a friend, but I'm not at the point that I feel incredibly close to you."

Midori's heart broke as she heard Naruto's words. She had grown rather fond of Naruto over the last couple days and he was pretty much the first real friend she has ever had.

"Naruto, do you know what a noble's life is like, especially for the children of nobles?" Midori spoke up, looking him square in the eyes, "Most of my life has been sheltered. Father almost never let me out of his sight and I wasn't allowed to play with other kids unless they were also from noble families. Even then, those 'friendships' were the kind that felt forced. All I really wanted was for someone my age to accept me for me."

Naruto was silent for a long moment, but finally commented, "That would explain it. I'm sorry I judged you."

"Don't be," Midori shook her head, "It's my fault. I was just so excited to actually have someone to really call a friend." Naruto gave a warm smile and placed a forgiving hand on her shoulder.

"It's late," the Genin reminded, "You should get some sleep." At that moment, Sakura opened the door to her and Midori's room and looked at the two blonds.

"You said you just had to get something from the vending machine," the pinkette confronted.

"Sorry, Sakura-san. Naruto-kun and I were just talking," Midori defended with a dismissive wave. She followed Sakura back into room but whispered, "Goodnight" to Naruto before closing the door. Naruto then returned to his own room, putting the thought of the vending machine being a cover up in the back of his mind.

**Sakura and Midori's Room**

Midori yawned as she lay back in the bed. She was in the midst of pulling the covers over her body when a seemingly irate Sakura ripped the same covers from her grip.

"Sakura?" uneasiness filled the noble's voice once she saw the accusing glare pointed at her.

"What were you really doing?" the pinkette demanded. Her glare didn't falter when Midori showed nothing but confusion.

"I've seen the way you've been acting around Naruto lately," Sakura pressed on, "With that being said, it's quite clear that you used this floor's vending machine as a cover up. What were you doing in Naruto's room?"

"I-I didn't mean you guys any harm," Midori struggled to get out due to intimidation. She then told Sakura what she told Naruto and the Leaf kunoich couldn't believe what she just heard.

"I guess that makes sense," Sakura pondered. Her face filled with guilt as she faced the noblewoman once more.

"I'm sorry, Midori," she said before looking at the floor and whispering, "I really am." She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and lifted her head to see it was the nobleman's daughter who had done so.

"Can we be friends, too?" Midori asked softly. Sakura smiled and finally returned the hug.

**Naruto's Room**

The morning sun peeked through the nearby window and shined on the face of a certain whisker-faced Leaf Genin. The said Genin stirred before sitting upright with a huge yawn. As he busied himself with donning his usual orange pants, a knock came from the door.

"Hurry up, Naruto, or you'll miss breakfast," came the voice of Sakura. The whisker-faced Genin quickly threw on a black t-shirt and his ninja scandals. After exiting the room, Naruto joined Sakura and Midori at the room with a small breakfast buffet. Three stomachs growled at the sight of the food items available.

After breakfast was finished, they headed up to Naruto's room to discuss plans for the day. Midori was first to speak.

"The formal gathering is still about three days away so we have some time to kill," the noblewoman informed, "I was hoping you could stay for the gathering so I thought I could take you guys shopping for kimonos."

"Really?" Naruto was surprised by this, but not shocked, "I mean, that's real nice of you but-."

"But, what?" Midori urged with concern.

"Sakura and I aren't nobles," Naruto voiced his uneasiness, "We'll probably get kicked out for being in a lower class."

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed in shock.

"It's not a big deal," Midori assured the pinkette with a dismissive wave. She turned back to Naruto.

"You seem to forget that my father was the one who set up this escort mission," Midori reminded, "I'm certain he will let you in the party as a token of thanks." Naruto smiled slightly but there was still some doubt evident on his face.

Midori then took the two Genin to a store down the street that had formal kimonos. Sakura made sure Naruto didn't get anything with orange. With Midori's help, Naruto was able to find a men's kimono that satisfied both girls. It was indigo and went well with his eye color.

"That's perfect for you, Naruto," Midori complimented with a blush. The said blond Genin was looking himself over, unsure if whether or not she spoke the truth. This led to Midori walking up to him and placing her hands on his shoulders, "You really do look good, I promise."

"Alright, then," Naruto resolved with a small smile. Midori smiled back then turned her attention to Sakura who had just stepped out of the fitting room she occupied. Both she and Naruto's felt their jaws drop at what they saw. Sakura was draped in a light pink kimono with a darker shade for accents and a red obi.

'Oh my god!' was all Midori's brain could process at the moment. For just a split second, she felt a sting of jealousy.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto stepped closer to his teammate and gently laid his hands where her shoulders met her arms, "I can't even begin to describe how beautiful you look." Sakura showed a sweet smile while she unconsciously moved her hands over her heart.

"Thank you, Naruto," she replied, "You actually do look great, yourself."

Satisfied with her friends' decisions, Midori paid for the kimonos and they headed back to the inn to put them away until the formal gathering. They then headed back out for a day of fun.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11: PARTY CRASHERS

The day of the formal gathering for noble families finally arrived and all three teens were getting ready in their rooms.

**Sakura and Midori's Room**

Sakura looked herself over in the full-body mirror mounted on the wall. She adjusted the collar of her kimono ever so slightly then smoothed the fabric over her figure with her hands.

Midori stepped up next to her with a cherry blossom in hand and weaved it into her hair.

"I figured that extra detail would make it look even better," she explained. Sakura's smile increased. Midori was right, the cherry blossom in her hair was the perfect touch.

**Naruto's Room**

Naruto made some last-minute adjustments on his kimono; sleeves, collar, etc. When he was finished with that, he looked over to the nearby nightstand where a small box sat. It was basically flat with the edges barely half an inch tall.

_I hope I made a good decision_, he thought as he slipped the box inside his sleeve. He then made for the door to exit the room and meet with Midori and Sakura in the inn's lobby.

**Inn's Lobby**

Naruto waited patiently by the doorway leading outside. He was half-standing and half-leaning against the wall. He let his eyes wander around, watching other people come and go.

After several minutes of waiting, Naruto perked up at the sound of two familiar voices conversing. He looked over to see his female friends approaching him. Midori had on a silver kimono with white trimmings and accents and a black obi while Sakura wore the pink kimono from the store.

Naruto was mainly focused on how Sakura looked. He felt a smile form on his face as Sakura's eyes met his. The pinkette smiled back as she closed the distance between her teammate and herself.

"Wow," Naruto smiled, "It's all I can say." He then turned his attention to Midori, "My lady, you just look absolutely dazzling."

"Thanks, Naruto," the noblewoman replied with a warm smile of her own, "So, shall we?" She motioned to the inn's entrance.

"Yes," Sakura replied. She took a step but was stopped by her blond teammate.

"Sakura, before we get going, I have something for you," Naruto explained himself. He then revealed the box from inside his sleeve before continuing, "While you and Midori were looking at yukatas a couple days ago, I took the time to check the shop next door and came across this."

Naruto opened the box, revealing a silver necklace with a shiny green stone. Sakura eyes went wide at the gift, her hand unconsciously drifting up to her heart. Beside her, Midori gasped with both hands flying to her mouth.

"Naruto…." Sakura tried to form words, but her jaw refused to comply. She watched as her teammate stepped around behind her and gently placed the necklace around her neck, fastening the lock. He stepped back in front of her to admire how it looked on her.

"Just like I thought," he observed, "It matches your eyes."

Sakura touched the stone of the necklace before holding it up to look at it. The stone had a unique shine to it, the smallest illumination would reflect beautifully off of it.

"Naruto," Sakura teared up as she hugged her Genin teammate, "Thank you so much." They remained like this for about a minute or two, not noticing the adoring glances from the other patrons in the inn's lobby.

"Ahem," Midori interrupted, "Sorry, guys, but we still plan on making it to the party in good time." The blond and pinkette separated, rather reluctantly on Naruto's end, and followed their noble escort outside. They kept walking to the private estate, the whole trip taking least an hour. Their pace was rather leisurely since Midori opted to actually walk alongside them for a change.

**Private Estate**

The trio of teens neared the front door of the estate from the front steps. Midori slid the door open and walked inside, followed by Naruto and Sakura.

"I'm here, father," Midori called. An older man walked up to the trio in a men's kimono similar to Naruto's.

"Midori, my darling," the older man greeted, "I'm happy you made it safely."

"You have these two to thank," Midori replied while motioning toward the two Leaf Genin. The older gentleman looked past his daughter to the boy and girl mentioned, who bowed slightly in respect.

"Ah, you must be the ninja sent to protect my daughter," he acknowledged, "I promise that you will be paid appropriately for your trouble." This got a glare from Midori.

"And since you're here," the older man continued, "I believe it to be understandable to allow you to stay for the festivities."

"We thank you for your kindness, my lord," Sakura spoke with a quick nod of her head.

"How far along are the preparations, father?" Midori chimed in.

"As of now, they will be completed within the hour as planned," the nobleman replied with a smile.

"If you like," Naruto offered, "We can keep her occupied until you finish all preparations." Sakura shot him a glare, not liking how he worded it.

"It's not any trouble, father," Midori came to the rescue, "We got to know each other during the trip." The nobleman seemed to think for several moments.

"I guess I don't see the harm in that," he concluded, "You three have fun, then." The nobleman walked off to tend to last-minute details. As soon as he was gone, Naruto took a nasty punch to the head from his pink-haired friend.

"Dammit, Naruto," Sakura scolded, "Why did you say it like that?" Naruto rubbed the side of his head while muttering something about anger issues.

The three teens stepped back outside to a side patio where they sat themselves on traditional sitting pads. They talked about past memories they enjoyed. Midori recalled pranks she pulled around the family manor as a child while Naruto and Sakura told of past missions, including the mission to bring Sasuke back to Konoha.

"Wait, Sasuke was your teammate and friend, why did he leave the village?" Midori questioned.

"He left because all he really wanted was power," Naruto answered glumly. He then told her of the battle at the Valley of the End, every strike and every Jutsu. The part where Sasuke voluntarily shoved a Chidori through his body shocked the noblewoman the most, bringing tears to her eyes.

Sakura relived the days after the battle in her mind as her teammate told his story. As he finished, the pinkette gently took Naruto's hand in hers.

"In the days after, I would see Naruto in the hospital," she said while looking in Midori's direction, "Seeing him still alive after learning what happened, I couldn't help but wonder how else it could've ended."

Midori sniffed then let out a shaky sigh. She then took Naruto's other hand.

"Knowing now what could have happened," she said, "I will cherish our friendship more that ever." Naruto smiled at her and gave both girls' hands a gentle, affectionate squeeze.

Midori's father watched from inside a nearby window. He was grateful his daughter seemed to finally make some real friends. Even though he questioned the idea of befriending ninja at first, it seemed that these two made her happy.

_I'll have to bring her to Konoha more often,_ the nobleman thought as he turned away to continue last-minute preparations.

The formal gathering eventually started and other noble families began to arrive. Pleasant small talk echoed all across the estate as well as very deep discussions.

Currently, Naruto was engaged in a friendly argument over whether ramen or Japanese barbeque was better.

"Oh please, barbeque allows you to see the meat cook," the nobleman argued, "In that way, it is more satisfying when finally eaten."

"Well, with ramen, it's fully satisfying no matter what," Naruto countered, "Plus, there's WAY more variety in ramen dishes."

Sakura chuckled quietly as she watched her hyper teammate defend his favorite cuisine. Never before had she known a person so devoted to something like a food item.

This was her last thought before blacking out.

Naruto looked around in confusion as the party guests suddenly tumbled to the floor, including Midori and Sakura. He quickly moved beside his unconscious teammate and tried to shake her awake, but to no avail. He tried again on Midori and got the same result.

"Damn! There's still one awake," a familiar female voice said.

"This doesn't make sense," a familiar male voice replied, "I saw drink from his cup." It was then that two people appeared in front of Naruto, a man and a woman.

"It's that little brat, again!" the woman sneered, narrowing her eyes at Naruto, "Let's take him down, Matsu."

"Right behind you, Aoi," the man smirked.

_Matsu? Aoi?_

Naruto pondered why those names sounded familiar. He dodged a punch from Aoi and countered with a haymaker to the forehead. He was caught in a bearhug from behind a second later.

That's when it hit him. These are the thugs he rescued Felicia from! The only question was why are they here?

Naruto released a kunai from inside his sleeve and stabbed into one Matsu's forearms, making him let go. He jumped away to give himself some distance and faced his opponents. He released a kunai into his other hand and took a combat stance.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12: THE END OF MATSU AND AOI

Aoi sneered at Naruto upon seeing the wound on Matsu's arm.

"You're gonna pay for that, kid," she basically snarled, "You're also gonna pay for what you did last time!"

Naruto mentally steeled himself as Aoi charged at him with a new katana. He knocked each blow away with a tightly gripped kunai and looked desparately for an opening.

Aoi gave an angry roar as she swung her blade vertically at Naruto's noggin. The blond Shinobi crossed his kunai to absorb the impact, making the fight a test of strength. Both Naruto and Aoi pushed at each other, each refusing to give any ground.

Desiring to end this quickly, Naruto quickly summoned one last burst of strength and shoved the enemy blade away, sending Aoi into a brief stumble. With the opening he wanted, Naruto sprang forward before Aoi could recover and connected a sidekick to the jaw.

"Aoi, no!" Matsu watched in horror as his partner flew back and skid to a stop near his feet. He met Naruto's eyes with a burning rage and proceeded to charge the blond head-on.

"I'm gonna kill you, brat!" he roared as he went for a punch. Naruto batted the oncoming fist away and jumped into a spinning sidekick to the side Matsu's head. The large man stumbled a little, but he was able to block the kunai strike that followed.

Sakura began to stir as her drugged beverage began to wear off. She tried to stay motionless to avoid any possible hostile attention but moved her head enough to see Naruto's fight with a large man. She had to hold in a gasp, however, when said large man caught Naruto's hand, which was grasping a kunai, and twisted his arm with sickening crack.

"This is gonna hurt you more than it's hurt me," she heard the man taunt. She gaped in horror as the man proceeded to dislocate Naruto's knee with his foot and followed with several punches to the face, the last punch sending the blond Genin sprawling on the floor.

_Naruto! Oh god, no!_ Sakura mentally pleaded. She felt the sting of tears as the large man lifted her friend up by his throat with one hand and began to squeeze.

That was it, Sakura had seen enough! She sprang to her feet and leaped at her friend's attacker, each hand gripping a kunai. She made a move to lodge a kunai into the large man's neck but she was knocked out of the way. She regained her footing and faced the person responsible to stopping her.

"So you're the brat's companion," the woman snarled, "That's too bad. Now that you're involved, you'll have to die, too." The woman charged Sakura, swinging away with her katana. Sakura batted away most of the strikes and dodged the rest.

Struggling to stay conscious, Naruto bore witness to his pink-haired friend battling Aoi. He fought against Matsu's immovable grip on his neck the best he could, but to no avail. Mere seconds later, darkness completely overtook him.

Sakura jumped away from her opponent to give herself space. This woman was putting up a hell of a fight, as if she received some ninja training.

_I need to help out Naruto as soon as possible_, Sakura thought desperately, _No, don't get distracted! Just take this woman down as quick as possible!_ She came at the katana-wielding woman, leaping into the air and throwing both kunai at her. The woman swatted both projectiles away with her blade, but she was currently wide open.

"Shannaro!" Sakura shouted as she plunged her fist into the center of her opponent's face. It was satisfying for the pinkette- until there was a not-so-pleasant snap from the woman's neck area.

"Aoi!" the large man shouted from where he stood. He then suddenly dropped his knees then buried his face in his hands. At that point, Sakura could make out muffled sobbing. She looked down at Aoi's lifeless body.

_He deeply cared for her_, she pondered, _Even if they are bandits or even rogue ninja, they're still teammates and friends who looked out for each other._ She turned her attention toward the large man who had just lifted his head to look in her direction.

"Please," the large man pleaded, "Let us go." Sakura was shocked to hear this from a man who was literally a little more than twice her size. All she could think of doing at the moment was giving a look of confusion mixed with caution.

"This was just supposed to be a simple noble-class heist," the man explained, "No one was supposed to get killed. At the very least, let me take Aoi away and find a place for burial."

Sakura was stunned. Never in her life had she thought that this kind scenario would happen, or happen to her no less.

_Normally, that's just a bad idea_, she thought, _But given the circumstances, I should let him take care of his fallen friend._

"I will let you go," Sakura said, "But if Naruto or myself ever see your face again, we will not hesitate to capture you." The large man looked relieved as he uttered, "Arigatou" and walked over to Aoi's position on the floor, gently lifting her in his arms. He walked out through nearest door to the outside and was soon a good distance away, searching for the perfect burial site.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13: REUNION AT A HOSPITAL

Naruto's vision was blurry. He tried to blink several times and his eyes began to focus better. It was then that he recognized the pale white ceiling he was staring at. He was in a hospital room.

"_Sob…..sob…sob…."_

Naruto turned his head to the left to face the source of the sound he just heard. There was his pink-haired friend in a chair right next to the hospital bed, crying into her folded up arms on Naruto's bedside. The sight stung Naruto's heart enough to bring a single tear to his eye.

Naruto lifted his hand and began to gently stroke Sakura's hair. Said pinkette lifted her head upon feeling her friend's touch and looked into Naruto's face with tear-brimmed eyes.

Before Naruto could react, Sakura almost literally pounced on him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He could feel his shoulder getting wet from her tears as he wrapped one arm around her mid-section and brought up his other hand to caress her head.

"I thought I was going to lose you," Sakura whimpered into her teammate's shoulder, "It's been almost four days!" Naruto hid his shock the best could. He has been out for four days and she had been at his side the whole time, praying for him to wake up. He gently rubbed her back and held her even closer than before.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she continued to sob, "We could have been able to take those thugs down together."

"I tried to wake you, Sakura," Naruto defended, "But you didn't respond no matter how hard I tried." Sakura looked into Naruto's eyes for any sign of deceit, but found none.

"But if you were trying to wake me, that means whatever was in the drinks didn't affect you," the pinkette discussed. Naruto said nothing but moved a hand over his stomach. Sakura saw this and realized what he meant.

"It may be a curse," the blond Genin said, "But sometimes, it can help out in dangerous scenarios." Sakura then took his hand, lifting it from his stomach and up to her heart.

"Even then, if anything were to happen to you, it would leave a large, gaping hole," the pinkette concluded. She then pulled Naruto into another hug where they remained in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company.

It was some time later when a nurse opened the door to Naruto's hospital room a small fraction to peek inside. Sakura was on the hospital bed, holding a seemingly asleep Naruto against her and slowly stroking his hair.

_So cute, I just don't want to interrupt it_, the nurse thought with an adoring smile. Unfortunately, she still had to check on him as part of her job so she resolved to make it as quick as possible. She lightly knocked before opening the door all the way to enter the room, turning Sakura's attention toward her.

"Sorry to interrupt," the nurse said sweetly, "I just need to check his vitals and everything really quick to put on record." Sakura nodded and moved off the bed to let the nurse work. She was in and out in less than a minute, leaving with a kindly, "Arigatou" before closing the door behind her.

**Hospital Lobby**

Kakashi Hatake sat on the end of a row of chairs lining a wall, his nose glued to the pages of his adult novel. Right next to him sat Felicia who looked down at the floor in worry. She made a sniffle and Kakashi looked up from his novel. He placed a comforting hand on top of her head and pet in between her ears in a slow, comforting fashion.

"Kakashi-sensei," came a familiar voice. Both Kakashi and Felicia looked toward the hallway leading to the patients' rooms to see Sakura walking toward them.

"What are you guys doing here?" the pinkette asked. Kakashi kept petting Felicia as he spoke.

"After I returned to Konoha, Tsunade received word from your noble friend that Naruto was in a Tea Country hospital in critical condition and had yet to regain consciousness. She seemed relieved that you made it out okay. I was passed the message via Anbu and retrieved Felicia after finding out she was staying with Hinata Hyuuga. We got here as fast as we could."

Sakura nodded in acknowledgement before saying, "Thank you for coming. He'll really want to see you both." She then walked past them toward the front door of the hospital.

"Where are you going?" Felicia asked.

"Oh, I'm just getting Naruto some local ramen since he's already tired of hospital food," Sakura replied.

"Naruto's awake?" Felicia demanded as she jumped up from her chair.

"Felicia," Kakashi was immediately at her side, "This is not the place." He felt Felicia relax herself before returning to his own chair and adding, "Sakura will take us to Naruto's room when she gets back."

"Should I get you guys something, too?" Sakura asked from near the front door. The one-eyed Jonin and catgirl shook their heads and the pinkette was on her way to find a ramen stand.

**Naruto's Hospital Room**

Sakura had only been gone for at least ten minutes and Naruto was already starting to feel lonely. His mind kept going back to the countless hours spent with his pink-haired friend up until now. Sure something like this has happened before, but this time felt different- closer. This lead to one other thing crossing his mind, _how did all this feel on Sakura's side?_

His pondering was interrupted by the sound of the door to his hospital room opening. He looked up to see the same person he was just thinking about walk into the room with a couple bowls of ramen. Trailing behind her were Kakashi and Felicia.

"Naruto!" Felicia cried out as she saw the blond Genin up and awake and rushed onto his bed, holding him in a tight embrace and crying into his hair.

"Thank god you're okay!" She sobbed after a few moments, her voice muffled.

Completely lost for words, Naruto said nothing and held the upset cat girl. They stayed like this for a little while longer and were eventually interrupted by Naruto's stomach. Felicia, happy just to know her friend was alive, laughed it off before placing a loving kiss on his forehead and moving off the bed.

"I could tell you were getting sick of the food of this place," Sakura stated as she set a bowl of ramen in front of Naruto.

"Arigatou, Sakura-chan," Naruto smiled before breaking apart his chopsticks and digging in. Sakura let a caring smile cross her face before doing the same.

"Naruto," Kakashi spoke up, "I hate to ask you of this, but I need to know what happened so I can report to the Hokage." Naruto took another slurp ramen then looked up at his sensei to tell his side of the story. He spoke of the journey to Tea Country with Midori, the formal gathering and the fight with Matsu and Aoi. He made double sure that he left no details out and looked to Sakura for when he lost consciousness. With the story complete and written up in Kakashi's report, the one-eyed Jonin thanked his two remaining students and went to leave to room. He then stopped and looked back at the Genin.

"Well done on a successful mission, you two," he praised, "As soon as Naruto checks out of the hospital, return to Konoha. We'll begin taking missions again the day after you came back." He received a small chorus of, "Hai" and left the room.

Felicia moved around Naruto's hospital bed to where she was opposite of Sakura and curled up next to Naruto with her head resting on his chest. Naruto smiled as he pet in between her ears and both he and Sakura could soon hear the sound of purring.

Both Genin yawned and decided to get some sleep. Sakura laid down on the small sofa next to Naruto's hospital bed and pulled a light blanket over her as she watched Naruto settle into a relaxed state and drift off to sleep. Before long, she followed suit.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14: MEET THE HARUNOS

**Hidden Sound Village; Orochimaru's Base**

"Chidori!" Sasuke vaporized another training dummy before leaping away and decapitating the next closest one with his sword.

"Chidori Stream!" he shouted as he landed from his leap, impaling another nearby training dummy.

_That will be you soon, Naruto,_ the Uchiha prodigy mentally sneered. He then sensed another person's presence and looked toward the door to the dojo.

"What do you want, Kabuto?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"Now, now, Sasuke," the white-haired medic smiled, "I just came to inform you that Lord Orochimaru has requested your presence in his private chamber."

"Very well, then," Sasuke replied with the same tone. He stepped past Kabuto and headed down the corridor leading to Orochimaru's living quarters. He soon reached the door to his destination and gave a knock.

"Enter," came a snake-like voice from beyond the door. The door creaked as Sasuke opened it and walked in. At the far end of the room was Orochimaru sitting on a floor cushion and reading from scroll that the Uchiha prodigy didn't care to look closer at.

"You called for me, Orochimaru-sensei?" Sasuke questioned. The Snake Sannin looked up from the scroll and showed his usual evil grin.

"Why yes, my student," Orochimaru hissed, "I would like to know of your progress in furthering your affiliation for lightning."

"I've mastered the standard Chidori Stream like you taught me," Sasuke reported with the typical stoic tone, "But I've also just recently developed a skill in charging it through my blade." Orichimaru's eyes widened at this development. Little did he expect that the last remaining Uchiha would accomplish something like this in so little time.

_He is definitely the one who will help carry on my legacy,_ Orochimaru mentally purred.

**Konoha; Haruno Household**

Naruto and Sakura approached the front door with Felicia right behind them. They had just reported to Tsunade after returning from Tea Country earlier that day. So now, Naruto was walking Sakura home before continuing on to his apartment with Felicia.

Just then, Sakura's mother came out the door with a grocery list in her hand. She looked up and saw the two teens approaching.

"Oi, Sakura, Naruto!" Mrs. Haruno called with a wave. The teens waved back as they neared where she stood.

"You two have been gone quite awhile," she questioned, "Did the mission go okay?" All she got for a response was looks of discomfort from both Genin, which really puzzled her.

"Well, we were planning on having you over for dinner after you got back," she said to Naruto before saying to both him and Sakura, "I'm getting some things for dinner right now so go ahead and make yourselves at home." She proceeded to walk past the teens until she spotted Felicia and jumped ever so slightly.

_Here we go again,_ Naruto mentally groaned.

"You must be the feline friend of Naruto's I've heard about," Mrs. Haruno stated after shaking off her shock, "Don't worry, I won't do what my daughter did."

_Why did you bring that up,_ Inner Sakura moped.

Felicia smiled and held out her paw while saying, "My name's Felicia." Mrs. Haruno seemed surprised by her actually being to speak at first but quickly recovered and took the catgirl's paw in her hand, returning the smile and stating, "A friend of my daughter is a friend of mine."

When the teens and catgirl were inside the house, they were greeted by Mr. Haruno from the dining room table.

"Naruto, how nice of you to join us," Sakura's father welcomed warmly, "Don't be afraid to make yourself at home." He looked past Naruto to focus his attention on Felicia.

"Ah yes, you're Naruto's friend, right?" he asked, "I remember seeing you around the village with him."

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Haruno-san," Felicia replied with a slight bow. Mr. Haruno let out a laugh in response before assuring, "No need to be so formal. Naruto was the same way when we first met him."

The two teens and catgirl joined Mr. Haruno at the table and began to talk casually. They got up to help Mrs. Haruno with the groceries when she returned from the marketplace. While Felicia volunteered to help prepare dinner with Sakura, Mr. Haruno took Naruto to another room.

"I wanted to tell you that my wife and I really appreciate you being a good friend to our daughter," Mr. Haruno assured, "And when we heard what happened in your mission to retrieve the Uchiha traitor, we couldn't believe it. We saw the pain in both you and Sakura." Naruto averted his eyes to the floor, pained to be reminded of that day. He also absent-mindedly moved his hand up to his shoulder where he was impaled by Sasuke's Chidori.

"Even so, it brought you and Sakura closer," Mr. Haruno continued, "And you know the Misses and myself already love you as one of our own. So please keep up with making Sakura happy."

"You have my promise that I will never hurt Sakura-chan," Naruto proclaimed with a bright smile, "I never go back on my word because that's my ninja way." Mr. Haruno couldn't help but smile at his antics. They then rejoined the women in the kitchen/dinning room and set the table while dinner was still being prepared.

Within minutes, everyone was talking and laughing over tonkatsu (Asian-style pork chop) and oyakodon (Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl). Almost an hour had past when everyone had finished eating. The dishes were done within minutes due to Naruto and Sakura pitching in and everyone was soon gathered in the living room. Naruto began his recalling of the escort mission to Tea Country with Sakura finishing up the last portion of the story like they did with Kakashi. Mr. Haruno merely lowered a sad, pained look to the floor while Mrs. Haruno sniffled and wiped away tears. Felicia, hearing the story once again, hugged Naruto's arm tighter than she did already. Sakura took Naruto's hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"To think that something as simple as an escort mission for someone who doesn't have any known enemies could turn deadly," Mrs. Haruno knelt and hugged both Genin, "Promise my husband and myself that you two will trust and protect each other." Naruto and Sakura returned the gesture with their free hands. They eventually broke the hug and Mrs. Haruno turned to Felicia.

"Take good care of them," she requested. Felicia smiled and took Mrs. Haruno's hands in her paws.

"You have my word that our bond will be near unbreakable," the catgirl assured.

More time passed with more talking and laughing. Naruto eventually decided he had to get home due to Felicia leaning her head on his shoulder with her eyes drooping. After a series of "goodnights", "take cares", etc., Naruto left the Haruno home and headed toward his apartment with Felicia walking right next to him, stumbling ever so slightly. She even tried walking on all fours, but she still stumbled out of sleepiness every few steps.

They eventually made it to the door to the apartment and Felicia was now leaning against Naruto, barely able to stand. Feeling especially tired himself, Naruto took Felicia straight to bed and was out mere seconds after resting his head on the pillow.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15: OLD REGRETS AND A MISSION

**(Konoha; Haruno Household)**

Sakura's bedroom window lit up as the morning sun peeked over the buildings outside, rising her from sleep. She sat up and yawned while stretching before getting dressed. She looked at her clock and opted to stop at the nearby coffeehouse before meeting Naruto and Kakashi at Tsunade's office.

While walking down the road to the coffeehouse, Sakura began to think about that day in the hospital in Tea Country when Naruto awoke from his four-day coma. She remembered embracing him and telling him that he held a special place in her heart. As she recalled the second embrace that followed, she unconsciously brought her hand up to her heart and smiled lovingly. While she hugged her blond teammate in comfortable silence, she felt something more than relief. She felt something like enjoyment in sharing a moment like this with Naruto. After Naruto dozed off, she continued to hold him.

_Not even a year ago, I wouldn't even consider it,_ the pinkette pondered, _but now, I think I can say it- I love him!_

**(Yamanake Flower Shop)**

Ino Yamanaka hummed to herself as she watered the flowers lining the front window, adding to the noise of the not-yet busy activity outside. She made it so each vase was filled up to about one centimeter below the top. She began to move to the plants on the displays off to her right when the small bell above the front door rang. She promptly turned to greet the person who came in.

"Hey, Naruto," Ino smiled as she walked up to the hyper Genin and hugged him, "When did you get back from your escort mission?"

"Just yesterday, actually," Naruto answered, "Sakura-chan's folks invited me for dinner later that night."

"Oh really," Ino said, "Well, I'm glad she's okay. But when I heard about what happened to you, I was pretty worried. Your feline friend, however, seemed to take it especially hard."

_(Beginning of Flashback)_

_Ino knocked on the front door of the Hyuuga complex. Hiashi answered several seconds later._

"_Ah, Ms. Yamanaka, you must be here to meet with Hinata," the Hyuuga clan head greeted._

"_Yes, Hiashi-san, we were to meet with each other today," Ino confirmed. Hiashi showed her to the main sitting room and went to retrieve Hinata and Felicia._

_About a minute later, Hinata entered the room with Felicia right behind her. Ino began to smile at Hinata but jumped with a yelp upon seeing Felicia._

"_I didn't mean to frighten you," the cat girl said innocently. Hearing the cat-like female actually speak left Ino in a stupor the Hinata had to shake her out of._

"_This girl is Felicia," Hinata began explaining, "She lives with Naruto-kun but is staying with me while he's off on a mission Sakura-san." Ino looked from Hinata to Felicia, now able to get a better look at her. While most of her body was covered in white fur and she had large paws for hands and feet, she still had a human appearance._

"_How did you come to know Naruto?" Ino finally asked. Felicia told her of how she was captured in a painful trap by thugs and rescued by Naruto. She included how she lived with a human family before and when they died in a house fire set by arsonists. Ino sniffled as Felicia finished her backstory and took the cat girl's paw in her hand._

"_You're with Naruto now," she said kindly, "he's a good person."_

"_I know," Felicia said quietly with a loving smile. She and Ino smiled at each other for a few seconds before Ino realized that she never even introduced herself._

"_I'm Yamanaka Ino by the way," the platinum blond added quickly. Felicia took Ino's other hand in her other paw._

"_That's a cute name," the feline Darkstalker replied, "Naruto has mentioned you a couple times."_

_There was a knock on the front door and Hiashi went to answer it._

"_Kakashi! What brings you here!" he asked with genuine surprise._

"_Is Naruto's friend, Felicia, here?" the one-eyed Jonin asked with a seriousness rarely seen out of him. Hiashi motioned to the main sitting room and Kakashi moved past him with a quick nod of thanks._

"_I'm sorry for the interruption, ladies, but I have come to take Felicia with me to Tea Country," Kakashi informed._

"_What's going on?" Felicia asked innocently._

"_I just received word from the Hokage that Naruto is in a hospital down there," Kakashi answered gravely, "And he has just slipped into a coma."_

_Ino's hands flew up to her mouth as she gasped. Hinata clutched at her chest, trying to dull the aching of her heart. Felicia just stood in front of Kakashi in a shocked stupor._

"_Felicia," Kakashi said sternly with his hands on her shoulders, "You have to be strong- for Naruto." Felicia fought back tears and made a determined nod in Kakashi's direction._

"_Okay, let's get moving," the one-eyed Jonin said. He lead Felicia out the front door with Hinata and Ino still in the main sitting room, processing what has just transpired._

_(End of Flashback)_

Naruto placed a comforting hand on Ino's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Ino-chan," the hyper Genin said with an apologetic look. Ino gave him a caring smile as she brought her hand up to her shoulder, placing it over Naruto's hand, before switching to where she's casting her eyes to the floor and fighting back tears.

"Ino-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto asked. Ino said nothing at first, just a choked sob. Naruto took her chin in his index finger and thumb, tilting her face to look at him.

"Please tell me what's bothering you," he pleaded further.

"Up until Sasuke left Konoha, I didn't acknowledge you," Ino began to explain, "I saw you as nothing more than a loser and a poor excuse for a ninja. Just like the others back then, I treated you like dirt. This is all because I had an infatuation with that Uchiha traitor- a fangirl!" She buried her face in her hands, openly sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto!" the platinum blond cried out between sobs. Naruto looked at the crying girl in front of him, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Last time, it was Sakura seeking forgiveness for supposedly being the cause of him getting hurt by Sasuke. Now it's Ino apologizing for being a part of the in-crowd back before the whole Sasuke fiasco.

Naruto proceeded to hold Ino, slowly rubbing her back. After a few minutes, Ino's crying reduced to shaky breathing and she took a step away from Naruto.

"Arigatou, Naruto," Ino said with a smile. Naruto, his hands clasped in Ino's as a result of her taking a step back, gave Ino's hands a gentle squeeze in response. Ino then looked at the clock.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, Naruto," Ino gasped at seeing how much time was spent in her moment with Naruto, "You were probably here to buy flowers, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was," Naruto answered, "I was thinking of something for Baa-chan as something to say that I'm sorry for making her worry so much."

"Really?" Ino puzzled, "I didn't think Tsunade-sama was one for flowers."

"Well it's the only thing I can think of right now, other than sake," Naruto elaborated, "And she's already got plenty of that. Plus, we're taking missions again today, anyway."

"Already? Well you do heal fast," Ino chuckled, "So what kind of arrangement did you have in mind?"

"Well that's where I thought you could help me out," Naruto confessed, "I was never good the concept of gifts."

"Hey, it's the thought that counts," Ino concluded as she led to Naruto to a nearby shelf of flowers.

**(Hokage's Office)**

Tsunade set aside another stack of completed paperwork before sitting back to stretch out her shoulders and arms. She let out a groan as several bones popped.

_This is gonna be a long day_, she mentally grumbled. She got to work on the next stack of paperwork, giving a quick glance at the text before stamping her approval. Almost an hour later, that stack of paperwork was finished and set aside.

Knock on the office door sounded on the office door, causing Tsunade to look up from the next stack of paperwork she was about to work on.

_Kakashi's team must be here already,_ she pondered the said out loud, "It's open." A caring smile crossed her face as her "godson" walked in.

"You're actually the first the arrive, kiddo," the busty Sannin observed, "What's so important that brings you in so early?"

"Well," Naruto began as she stepped around the side Tsunade's desk, "Baa-chan, you mean a lot to me. There are times when I'm on a mission and I just know that you're back here worrying about my safety. Then there are the times I end up hospitalized, usually in really bad shape. I mean, that only adds to your worry."

Naruto moved the vased flower arrangement from behind his back.

"I just want you to know that I hate making you worry," Naruto concluded, "And that I'll NEVER give up on you."

Tears streamed down Tsunade's complexion as she took the flowers and took in the mixture of colors and shapes. She really wasn't into flowers. But coming from her "godson", adoration just couldn't be helped.

She set the flowers down near the front of her desk before turning back to Naruto. Slightly lifting Naruto's forehead protector, she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"This means a lot, Naruto," the Godaime smiled, "You have my promise that those flowers will remain there as long as they live." Naruto smiled back as she ruffled his hair.

"Although, we may want to play it cool for when the rest of your team shows up," Tsunade quickly added, "You know, to avoid things getting awkward." Naruto nodded in understanding and leaned against the desk to wait for Sakura and Kakashi to arrive. Sakura showed up several minutes later. She greeted Naruto with a hug and they talked quietly while Tsunade continued with paperwork for the time being. Kakashi finally arrived an hour and a half later. As he was walking in the door, he received as blow to the face courtesy of a book thrown by the 5th Hokage.

"I don't even want to hear what you have an excuse this time," Tsunade growled, "It's bad enough that you show up late for training your students."

"Fair enough," Kakashi replied calmly, rubbing his nose. He walked up beside his students and motioned for the Hokage to begin.

"There is a large fighting tournament being held in Tani over in River Country," Tsuande explained, "While it is only rumors, it is believed that the grand prize for winning the tournament is a scroll containing the ultimate Jutsu that is capable of global destruction. I am sending the three of you to enter the tournament, increasing the chances of you bringing it back to Konoha so we can place it under tight security. If we accomplish this, we'll prevent this Jutsu from falling into the wrong hands. Any questions?" When no one said anything, Tsunade waved her arm and commanded, "Dismissed!" Team 7 began to file out the office door.

"Naruto, please wait," Tsunade called before the blond Genin could exit through the door. Naruto stopped and turned to look in the Godaime's direction. She stood from her chair behind the desk, walked around the desk and up to where Naruto stood near the slightly ajar office door.

"Naruto," she pleaded, cupping his face in her hands, "Promise me that you'll be careful."

"I promise, Baa-chan, that you won't have to worry me coming back alive," Naruto assured, "We'll have that Jutsu scroll back before you know it." Unable to resist his optimism, the busty Sannin pulled her "godson" into their second hug of the day. When they broke apart, Tsunade sent Naruto out the office door with a "good luck".

**(Naruto's Apartment)**

The sound of the door opening and closing stirred Felicia from her catnap. She looked up from her spot on the couch to see Naruto coming in and heading straight into the bedroom. Following him, she saw the blond Genin placing extra clothes into a small pack.

"Another mission?" she inquired.

"Yep, I'm headed for River Country," Naruto replied without looking up from his task. Felicia began to feel anxiety build up inside her. Last mission he went on, he was in the hospital in critical condition. As far as Felicia was concerned, there's a big possibility of history repeating itself and it frightened her.

"When will you return?" she asked while trying hide her distress. Naruto caught on, however, and looked up at her. He walked up to her placed his hand on her shoulders.

"I'm going to be prepared this time," he assured, "Just like I promised Baa-chan, you can count on me returning home safe." He pet the area between Felicia's ears, making her pur.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted the moment. Naruto answered the door to find Hinata standing there.

"Oh, Hinata-chan," Naruto exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Hokage-s-sama gave m-me orders t-to look after your cat friend w-while you're on y-your m-mission," Hinata stuttered, "S-so I'm here t-to b-bring her to H-Hyuuga c-complex."

Once the door to Naruto's apartment was locked, the hyper Genin and cat girl shared a goodbye hug and parted ways. Felicia went with Hinata to the Hyuuga complex while Naruto headed for the village gates.

**(Village Gates)**

Naruto arrived at the village gates to see that Sakura was already there. They casually conversed as they waited for Kakashi to show up, which he did about an hour and a half later. With everyone accounted for, the remaining three members of Team 7 dashed out the gates into the wilderness in the direction of River Country.


End file.
